Surah Yusuf, Ayah 61-80 — Word by Word
يوسف
Joseph
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
qālū sanurāwidu ʿanhu abāhu wa-innā lafāʿilūna
They said, "We will attempt to dissuade his father from [keeping] him, and indeed, we will do [it]."
waqāla lifit'yānihi ij'ʿalū biḍāʿatahum fī riḥālihim laʿallahum yaʿrifūnahā idhā inqalabū ilā ahlihim laʿallahum yarjiʿūna
And [Joseph] said to his servants, "Put their merchandise into their saddlebags so they might recognize it when they have gone back to their people that perhaps they will [again] return."
falammā rajaʿū ilā abīhim qālū yāabānā muniʿa minnā l-kaylu fa-arsil maʿanā akhānā naktal wa-innā lahu laḥāfiẓūna
So when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father, [further] measure has been denied to us, so send with us our brother [that] we will be given measure. And indeed, we will be his guardians."
qāla hal āmanukum ʿalayhi illā kamā amintukum ʿalā akhīhi min qablu fal-lahu khayrun ḥāfiẓan wahuwa arḥamu l-rāḥimīna
He said, "Should I entrust you with him except [under coercion] as I entrusted you with his brother before? But Allāh is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful."
walammā fataḥū matāʿahum wajadū biḍāʿatahum ruddat ilayhim qālū yāabānā mā nabghī hādhihi biḍāʿatunā ruddat ilaynā wanamīru ahlanā wanaḥfaẓu akhānā wanazdādu kayla baʿīrin dhālika kaylun yasīrun
And when they opened their baggage, they found their merchandise returned to them. They said, "O our father, what [more] could we desire? This is our merchandise returned to us. And we will obtain supplies [i.e., food] for our family and protect our brother and obtain an increase of a camel's load; that is an easy measurement."
qāla lan ur'silahu maʿakum ḥattā tu'tūni mawthiqan mina l-lahi latatunnanī bihi illā an yuḥāṭa bikum falammā ātawhu mawthiqahum qāla l-lahu ʿalā mā naqūlu wakīlun
[Jacob] said, "Never will I send him with you until you give me a promise [i.e., oath] by Allāh that you will bring him [back] to me, unless you should be surrounded [i.e., overcome by enemies]." And when they had given their promise, he said, "Allāh, over what we say, is Entrusted."
waqāla yābaniyya lā tadkhulū min bābin wāḥidin wa-ud'khulū min abwābin mutafarriqatin wamā ugh'nī ʿankum mina l-lahi min shayin ini l-ḥuk'mu illā lillahi ʿalayhi tawakkaltu waʿalayhi falyatawakkali l-mutawakilūna
And he said, "O my sons, do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates; and I cannot avail you against [the decree of] Allāh at all. The decision is only for Allāh; upon Him I have relied, and upon Him let those who would rely [indeed] rely."
walammā dakhalū min ḥaythu amarahum abūhum mā kāna yugh'nī ʿanhum mina l-lahi min shayin illā ḥājatan fī nafsi yaʿqūba qaḍāhā wa-innahu ladhū ʿil'min limā ʿallamnāhu walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna
And when they entered from where their father had ordered them, it did not avail them against Allāh at all except [it was] a need [i.e., concern] within the soul of Jacob, which he satisfied. And indeed, he was a possessor of knowledge because of what We had taught him, but most of the people do not know.
walammā dakhalū ʿalā yūsufa āwā ilayhi akhāhu qāla innī anā akhūka falā tabta-is bimā kānū yaʿmalūna
And when they entered upon Joseph, he took his brother to himself; he said, "Indeed, I am your brother, so do not despair over what they used to do [to me]."
falammā jahhazahum bijahāzihim jaʿala l-siqāyata fī raḥli akhīhi thumma adhana mu-adhinun ayyatuhā l-ʿīru innakum lasāriqūna
So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the [gold measuring] bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, "O caravan, indeed you are thieves."
qālū wa-aqbalū ʿalayhim mādhā tafqidūna
They said while approaching them, "What is it you are missing?"
qālū nafqidu ṣuwāʿa l-maliki waliman jāa bihi ḥim'lu baʿīrin wa-anā bihi zaʿīmun
They said, "We are missing the measure of the king. And for he who produces it is [the reward of] a camel's load, and I am responsible for it."
qālū tal-lahi laqad ʿalim'tum mā ji'nā linuf'sida fī l-arḍi wamā kunnā sāriqīna
They said, "By Allāh, you have certainly known that we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we have not been thieves."
qālū famā jazāuhu in kuntum kādhibīna
They [the accusers] said, "Then what would be its recompense if you should be liars?"
qālū jazāuhu man wujida fī raḥlihi fahuwa jazāuhu kadhālika najzī l-ẓālimīna
[The brothers] said, "Its recompense is that he in whose bag it is found - he [himself] will be its recompense. Thus do we recompense the wrongdoers."
fabada-a bi-awʿiyatihim qabla wiʿāi akhīhi thumma is'takhrajahā min wiʿāi akhīhi kadhālika kid'nā liyūsufa mā kāna liyakhudha akhāhu fī dīni l-maliki illā an yashāa l-lahu narfaʿu darajātin man nashāu wafawqa kulli dhī ʿil'min ʿalīmun
So he began [the search] with their bags before the bag of his brother; then he extracted it from the bag of his brother. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother within the religion [i.e., law] of the king except that Allāh willed. We raise in degrees whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing.
qālū in yasriq faqad saraqa akhun lahu min qablu fa-asarrahā yūsufu fī nafsihi walam yub'dihā lahum qāla antum sharrun makānan wal-lahu aʿlamu bimā taṣifūna
They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are worse in position, and Allāh is most knowing of what you describe."
qālū yāayyuhā l-ʿazīzu inna lahu aban shaykhan kabīran fakhudh aḥadanā makānahu innā narāka mina l-muḥ'sinīna
They said, "O ʿAzeez, indeed he has a father [who is] an old man, so take one of us in place of him. Indeed, we see you as a doer of good."
qāla maʿādha l-lahi an nakhudha illā man wajadnā matāʿanā ʿindahu innā idhan laẓālimūna
He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allāh [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."
falammā is'tayasū min'hu khalaṣū najiyyan qāla kabīruhum alam taʿlamū anna abākum qad akhadha ʿalaykum mawthiqan mina l-lahi wamin qablu mā farraṭtum fī yūsufa falan abraḥa l-arḍa ḥattā yadhana lī abī aw yaḥkuma l-lahu lī wahuwa khayru l-ḥākimīna
So when they had despaired of him, they secluded themselves in private consultation. The eldest of them said, "Do you not know that your father has taken upon you an oath by Allāh and [that] before you failed in [your duty to] Joseph? So I will never leave [this] land until my father permits me or Allāh decides for me, and He is the best of judges.